Yeshayahu- Isaiah - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

1In those days Hezekiah became critically ill, when Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him and said to him, "So has the Lord said, 'Give orders to your household, for you are going to die and you shall not live.

In those days: Three days before Sennacherib’s downfall, Hezekiah became ill, and the third day, when he went up to the house of the Lord, was the day of Sennacherib’s downfall, and it was the first festive day of Passover.

for you are going to die and you shall not live: You are going to die in this world, and you shall not live in the world to come, for you have not married, as it is stated in Berachoth 10b.

2" And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and he prayed to the Lord.

the shade of the steps: A sort of steps made opposite the sun to determine the hours of the day, like the clocks (horloge in French) that craftsmen make (sectarians make [Parshandatha]).

that it went down: It hastened to go down, and the day was shortened by ten hours on the day Ahaz died, in order that they should not eulogize him, and now they went backwards on the day Hezekiah recovered, and ten hours were added to the day.

9The writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, when he became ill and recovered from his illness.

I said, In the desolation of my days: (בִּדְמִי) When I saw my days בִּדְמִי, in desolation and in silence. Comp. (Zeph. 1:11) “For the entire people of Canaan has been silenced (נִדְמָה).” That is to say that when I became ill, I said, “I will go into the gates of the grave.” Now I will die, since, until that day, no sick person had recovered.

I am deprived of the rest of my years: (פֻּקַּדְתִּי) Comp.“(Num. 31:49) No man was missing (נִפְקַד) of us.” I am missing the rest of my years. Jonathan, however, renders: My remembrance has entered for good; years have been added to my years. I have been visited (נִפְקַדְתִּי) for good, and my years have been increased.

11I said, "I will not see the Eternal; the Eternal is in the land of the living; I will no longer look upon man, [but I will be] with those who dwell in withdrawal.

[I will not see the Eternal: (יָהּ) I will no longer use the name יָהּ.]

in the land of the living: The living use it, but the dead are not permitted, as it is said (Ps. 115: 17): “The dead shall not praise the Eternal (יָהּ).” It is a rule for the dead that they may never mention the Name consisting of two letters.]

in the land of the living: in the Temple.

I will no longer look upon man: (I.e., I will) no longer (look upon) a living (man).

with those who dwell in withdrawal: (חָדֶל) For I will be with the dead, who dwell in a land withdrawn and withheld from the living.

12My generation was removed and exiled from me like a shepherd's tent; I severed, like a weaver, my life; from glory He shall deprive me; from day and night You shall finish me.

My generation was removed and exiled from me: The people of my generation were removed from me.

was removed: (נִסַּע) synonymous with נִסְּחוּ. Comp. (supra 33:20) “whose pegs shall never be moved (יִסַּע).”

like a shepherd’s tent: Like the tent of one who tends animals, which he moves from here and sets up in another pasture when this pasture is depleted.

I severed: (קִפַּדְתִּי) I severed my life quickly, like a weaver who hastens to weave. All this I thought. Jonathan renders: Like a stream with banks, like a stream that flows between high banks, which does not spread out, and consequently, its water flows swiftly. And I say that it is a swift stream named Oreg, and this is what Job (7:6) said, “My days are lighter than Areg,” also (ibid. 9:26), “They passed with the ships of Ebeh.”

from glory He shall deprive me: (מִדַּלֶּה יְבַצְּעֵנִי). Jonathan renders: From the glory of my kingdom I am exiled. I thought that now He would deprive me of all my glory. The word דַלָּה is an expression of height. Comp. (Song 7:5) “And the braid (וְדַלַּת) of your head.”

from day and night You shall finish me: (lit., from day to night.) Comp. (Num. 5:3) “Both male and female,” (lit., from male to female.) That is to say, from days and nights you shall finish me, and so did Jonathan render: My days and my nights are over.

13I made [myself] until morning like a lion, so it would break my bones; from day and night You shall finish me.

like a crane: (סוּס) same as (Jer. 8:7), סִיס, and that is the name of a bird.

like a crane, a swallow: like a crane and a swallow. (Alternatively,) like this bird, seized by the neck, and it screeches. So did Jonathan render: Like a crane that is caught and screeches.

Rob me: (עָשְׁקָה), like עֲשֹׁק. Rob me, take me out of the hand of the angel of death, and pledge Yourself to save me. This (עָרְבֵנִי) is an expression of surety (garantieh in O.F.). Comp. (Ps. 119) “Pledge Yourself (עֲרוֹב) to Your servant for good.”

and before all of them the life of my spirit: And before all of them He resurrected the life of my spirit. But I say according to the simple meaning: The Lord is upon them, upon ‘my years’ mentioned above.

‘How can I serve Him and repay Him for all the years,’: He caused His Shechinah and His kindness to rest upon them and said to me through His prophets, that they shall live.

and to all upon which the life of my soul depends: And to everything upon which the life of my soul depends, the Lord said concerning them and they shall live.

and You shall make me well: From now on, I know that you shall make me well and give me life.

You shall make me well: (תַּחְלִימֵנִי) You shall make me well and strengthen me. Comp. (Job 39:4) “Their children shall become strong (יַחְלְמוּ).”

17Behold for peace, it is bitter for me, yea it is bitter, and You desired my soul from the grave of decay, for You have cast behind You all my sins.

Behold for peace, it is bitter for me, yea it is bitter: When I was notified of the tidings of peace, even that was bitter for me, for my recovery was dependent upon the merit of others (v. 5): “So has the Lord God of your father David said…” ; (supra 37:35) “For My sake and for the sake of David your father.” Here You let me know that I am a sinner (See Ber. 10b). (So did the Sages explain it, but in order to reconcile the verse, it appears to mean: Behold for peace, it was bitter for me, yea it was bitter - When I was given the news by You that You would save me from the hand of Sennacherib, it was bitter for me, yea it was bitter because of my illness, that I was close to death, and I did not rejoice with the news.) But You desired my soul, that it descend not to the grave.

18For the grave shall not thank You, nor shall death praise You; those who descend into the pit shall not hope for Your truth.

[For the grave shall not thank You: Had I died, I would not thank You for the miracle of the downfall of Sennacherib, and I would not hope for the realization of Your promise that You promised me concerning him.]

19The living, the living, he shall thank You, like me today; a father shall inform his children of Your truth.

The living, the living: This is an expression denoting living people; i.e., when they are living people in the world, this one is living and this one is living, thanksgiving emanates from between them. [Other editions:

A living one to a living one: You are living, and it is proper to give thanksgiving to a living one.]

inform: enseigner in French, to teach.

of Your truth: (lit., to your truth.) The father informs and directs his son’s thoughts to Your truth, to believe in You.

20The Lord [has promised] to save me, and we will play my hymns all the days of our life in the house of the Lord."

a cake of pressed figs: (דְּבֶלֶת) A pressed cake made from figs. When they are fresh, they are called תְּאֵנִים, and when they are pressed into a circular cake, they are called דְּבֵלָה.

and lay it for a plaster: And they shall smooth it out to cause it to adhere to the boil, and this was a miracle within a miracle, for, even healthy flesh, upon which pressed figs are placed, decays. But the Holy One, blessed be He, places an injurious substance upon vulnerable tissue, and it heals.

22And Hezekiah said, "What a sign that I will go up to the house of the Lord!"

כבוַיֹּאמֶר חִזְקִיָּהוּ מָה אוֹת כִּי אֶעֱלֶה בֵּית יְהֹוָה:

What a sign: How good and how beautiful is this sign which is given to me that I will go up to the house of the Lord!